Steeplechaser chases life goals, too

Josh McAdams remembers a time when running set the tone for his life. Now, it's the other way around, and he says he is an Olympian because of it.

"I thought running was everything my freshman year in college, and if I had a bad workout, that affected my attitude and mood the whole day," he said.

That was in 2000, and later that year, he left Brigham Young University for a two-year Mormon mission in Thailand.

"When I came back from my mission, I realized I had life goals and more of a perspective, and I knew what values I have and what is most important in my life," said McAdams, who is from Broadview Heights. "I have learned not to limit yourself."

McAdams became a prodigious goal-setter, which has served him well as a steeplechase runner who came out of nowhere to win the U.S. national championship in 2007.

Three of his biggest goals -- to be an Olympian, a doctor and to start a family -- are colliding right now. He is in China preparing to run the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the Summer Olympics, which begin Friday.

McAdams starts optometry school in Memphis later this month. This fall, he and his wife, Whitney, are expecting their first child, a girl. They will move from their home in Provo, Utah, to Memphis when they return from China.

There's a lot going on in this guy's life, and by all accounts, he's handling it very well.

"He's made a lot of sacrifices to put off medical school for a year, and his family is totally supportive," said his coach, Ed Eyestone. "He's so grounded in his family and family values that he has. He is a goal-setter who is a very positive individual and never dwells on the negative. All those qualities contribute to the success he's had."

McAdams is the fifth of Cindy and Russ McAdams' eight children, most of whom are practicing or training to be doctors, lawyers and teachers. Five have been on Mormon missions all around the world.

They also have all been extremely good athletes. Younger sister Megan, in fact, helped Brecksville High win the Division I state cross country title last fall. Their father, Russ, was a two-time All-American wrestler at BYU, and Josh was a state wrestling place-winner at Brecksville. Josh always considered himself a runner who wrestled, but brought a wrestler's relentless work ethic to the track.

McAdams, who begins competing on Aug. 16, has specific Olympic goals: first to make the finals, then to finish in the top eight.

"I'm not ruling out the top three," McAdams said.

That is a lofty goal. No American has won a steeplechase medal since 1984. Kenyans swept the awards stand in 2004, and they have won 12 of the 15 medals awarded since 1988. This has created a fair amount of animosity and suspicion in U.S. circles, McAdams included.

After winning the U.S. Trials, Anthony Famiglietti said he was "going for the bronze" and insinuated the Kenyans cheat. McAdams' best time this year is 21 seconds behind the top Kenyan, Paul Kipsiele Koech. McAdams ran 8:21.47 while finishing a comfortable third at the U.S. Trials, a tick off his career-best 8:21.36. The top four Olympic qualifiers, three of whom are from Kenya, are under 8:10.

"There are guys that are going to cheat and use performance-enhancing drugs, and you hope they get caught," McAdams said. "I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. You hope [U.S. and world anti-doping agencies] USADA and WADA are doing their jobs, and hope the guys testing the Kenyans are honest and not getting bribes from the athletes. If one of the Kenyans runs eight [minutes] flat and cheats, I'm not going to worry about it.

"The Olympic motto is 'Citius, Altius, Fortius,' and that doesn't mean faster, higher and stronger than the next guy, it means faster, higher and stronger for yourself. That's the attitude you should have."

McAdams said he is clean and he has no motivation to cheat.

"For me, the Olympics is a dream come true, but it's not the most important thing in my life," he said. "I'm going to give it my best, and if there are others using performance-enhancing drugs, that's what they do, and they live with the consequences. I believe it is morally wrong."

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